NPT Presents: Herschell Gordon Lewis On Fundraising Appeals

August 28, 2014 The NonProfit Times

Readers of The NonProfit Times have likely heard of Herschell Gordon Lewis even if they weren’t already aware of his long career writing and directing horror movies such as “Blood Feast.” Lewis writes regular columns for NPT regarding direct response fundraising. Some of his clients are the nation’s largest nonprofits and for-profit firms. Now we are giving our readers a special chance to join him for an exclusive webinar.

In “Use These Words, Not Those,” on October 8 at 2 p.m. EST, attendees will join Lewis as he discusses how the words you choose in fundraising appeals can determine the success of your campaign. For example, what’s the difference between “While you read this” and “Even as you read this?” You will find out the answers to this and more by attending this special one-hour session for just $59.99. You will even get to ask questions!

Here’s a sneak peak of what you can expect to hear from Lewis on October 8, from one of his most recent articles for NPT:

A mailing from a different leading nonprofit, this one dedicated to conserving the natural wonders of this country, has “Second Request” as its envelope copy. While some recipients might regard those two words as cold and businesslike, a comparative benefit of such Spartan phrasing is the automatic guilt reaction it might stimulate among others. How many others, of the total target-group? Because danger lurks here, let’s assume they’ve tested.

Smartly, instead of launching immediately into a call for money, the letter inside that envelope opens with another guilt-generator: “Did you receive our calendar?” And, competing against 2014 parallel online appeals as direct mail should, the letter is written in first-person singular – “I” – instead of the more distant first-person plural – “We.” The response device is labeled “Acceptance,” assurance that the target-individual feels in command.

Besides his work with NPT, Lewis has had a long and storied career in the field of direct response. He has been teaching a MasterClass on the subject for decades and has also written pieces for other publications. Reserve your spot for this special webinar today!